Transportation goal of recovering Otter

BOISE – Gov. Butch Otter sent out a statement this week pushing lawmakers not to put off transportation improvements because of budget concerns.

“Simply put, the cost of addressing our transportation infrastructure needs is growing daily,” Otter said. “Putting it off will cost us hundreds of millions of dollars more in years to come.” He closed with this: “My sense – backed up by many of you – is that Idahoans are ready to make measured, responsible, consistent investments in a safer, cleaner, more efficient transportation future. So as I told legislators as they started this year’s session: Let’s get to work!”

Of course, Otter has been recuperating at his Star ranch since his Jan. 29 hip surgery. Lawmakers are in their seventh week of full-time legislating.

The governor’s transportation proposals are scheduled for a committee hearing on Tuesday.

‘Motion for enlarged brief’ filed in Craig case

In Idaho Sen. Larry Craig’s continuing court fight to withdraw his guilty plea in an airport restroom-sex sting in Minnesota, a new motion was filed this week by the prosecution. It’s a “motion for enlarged brief,” which in this case means the respondents want to file a brief to the Minnesota Court of Appeals exceeding the current length limit of 15,500 words. The date listed on the motion was Valentine’s Day.

Clark is a state what?

Oopsy. An e-mailed invitation to a Rathdrum Chamber of Commerce town hall meeting with state legislators contained a few typos. It read:

“Your invited …. The Rathdrum Area Chamber of Commerce is hosing a Town Hall Meeting featuring State Senator Mike Jorgensen, State Reprehensive Jim Clark and State Representative Phil Hart.”

‘Legislature Live’ gets big donation

The live Internet and digital TV broadcasts of action in the House and Senate got a big boost today when the Idaho State Broadcasters Association contributed $35,000 toward the effort for this year’s legislative session. With another $25,000 from the Idaho PTV Foundation endowment, the service is now fully funded for the session.

Lee Wagner, ISBA president, said the group decided the service “was consistent with our mission as broadcasters across the state.”

This year, in the Legislature’s temporary quarters in the old Ada County courthouse, there are no public galleries in the House or Senate chambers, so the live broadcasts provide “virtual” galleries. But Jeff Youtz, legislative services director, said they’re drawing thousands of viewers – far more than ever could have been accommodated in public galleries.

Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes called it “a great service,” adding, “Really the business that we’re doing here is the people’s business.” To access the service online, go to www.idahoptv.org/leglive/.

Stage was set for milk bill

According to research by the dairy industry, one reason milk was becoming less popular with schoolchildren was because of its unattractive packaging – those old paper cartons. So the industry developed round, 8-ounce plastic bottles, which kids then praised as making the milk more “cool,” easier to drink and tastier. Now, Deanna Sessions told the House Agriculture Committee, “More than 200 schools in Idaho participate in this program and are serving milk in this cool packaging.”

Sessions gave a presentation on Idaho’s dairy industry to the House Agriculture Committee – just before the panel took up HB 485, the bill to make milk Idaho’s state drink. As a result, when the representatives debated the milk bill, Chairman Tom Trail was sipping chocolate milk, and others were enjoying milk, cheese, little plastic black-and-white cows and other goodies presented to them at the end of the Idaho dairy presentation.

“I think the stage has successfully been set” to consider the bill, Trail told the panel. It passed with just one dissenting vote. But when the bill got to the full House, things had changed – and sponsor Rep. Branden Durst, D-Boise, asked for and received unanimous consent to return the bill to committee, killing it.

Durst said he’s received close to 50 calls and e-mails about the bill – all of them negative. “There were folks that felt like it was a waste of time – I took a bit of umbrage to that,” Durst said, noting that his focus was on fighting child obesity by encouraging kids to drink milk rather than soda pop.

The rest of the feedback mainly focused on concerns about the dairy industry in Idaho and its impacts on neighbors and the environment. Durst said he also got a few complaints from lactose intolerant Idahoans.

The numbers tell the story…

Here’s proof that this year’s legislative session really did start off quicker and accomplish more in its earlier weeks than usual: More bills have passed both houses than at this point in the last five sessions (32); more have passed the Senate and are awaiting House action than at this point in the last five sessions (49); and more are awaiting the governor’s signature (19). At the same time, the number of pieces of new legislation prepared so far this year (735) is the second-lowest at this point since 2003, as is the number of bill introductions (382). Which all, taken together, suggests there’s been a rather fruitful spate of lawmaking going on.…